Humana Foundation donates $500,000 to First Coast Relief Fund

St. Johns County to share in benefits awarded to Community Foundation for NE Florida

Posted
Thursday, May 21, 2020 12:00 am

The Community Foundation for Northeast Florida is honored to announce it has received a $500,000 gift from The Humana Foundation that will be directed to Florida’s First Coast Relief Fund to aid pandemic response in our community.

With these funds from The Humana Foundation, Northeast Florida will be better positioned to respond to those who need assistance to recover and rebuild from this crisis. The Humana Foundation’s $500,000 gift is in addition to a $100,000 contribution from Humana to United Way of Northeast Florida for Florida’s First Coast Relief Fund in the earliest days of the pandemic as part of its Bold Goal partnership with the Jacksonville market.

“The impact of a grant of this size cannot be underestimated,” noted Nina Waters, president of The Community Foundation for Northeast Florida. “Every week, we and our partners in Florida’s First Coast Relief Fund struggle with the extraordinary needs presented by our nonprofit community as they try to respond to their clients who are hurting. The Humana Foundation’s generosity will help alleviate the strain on our neighbors and fellow citizens.” Since mid-March, Florida’s First Coast Relief Fund has granted more than $2.4 million to 75 local nonprofits in the six-county area. Applications continue to come in, and new grants are awarded weekly.

The current COVID-19 health crisis requires both immediate and long-term, sustainable relief in varying degrees across the U.S. This pandemic escalated what were previously already growing health concerns, such as access to care, food insecurity and mental health.

“The Humana Foundation understands the far-reaching strain the pandemic has placed on many organizations working on the frontlines to provide healthcare, food and employment for those disproportionality affected by the COVID-19 health crisis, and our aim is to remove barriers and help them respond, recover and rebuild,” said Walter D. Woods, Chief Executive Officer of The Humana Foundation. “Our intention with this commitment is to not only help provide immediate crisis relief, but also serve as a catalyst in building sustainable achievement and long-term community resilience.”

The Humana Foundation’s gift to The Community Foundation for Northeast Florida is part of The Humana Foundation’s historic April 30 announcement to commit $50 million to coronavirus relief and recovery efforts to a select group of organizations supporting essential workers, food security, behavioral health and local communities.